As Thornburgh states in his autobiography: "My tenure saw a huge increase in the department's activity in the international arena. The negotiation of extradition and mutual legal assistance treaties and executive agreements were high priorities as we sought more fugitives, evidence and forfeitable assets from abroad. Other meetings, conferences and negotiations focused on organized crime, money laundering, terrorism and narcotics. At various times I pursued these discussions in Greece, England, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Luxembourg, Scotland, Sweden, Hungary and Bulgaria" (
Evidence, p. 255). A notable trip, on another subject, was that to the Soviet Union, late in 1989, when Soviet Minister of Justice, Veniamin F. Yakovlev, invited Thornburgh to visit Moscow, in what was the first ever visit by a sitting attorney general of the United States. It was at this time that Thornburgh became active in the effort to promote the rule of law in other nations, an interest that has continued in his subsequent career. Yakovlev and Thornburgh have met several additional times and researchers will be interested in the video, available here online, of one such occasion.

The Attorney General's twelve foreign trips are chronologically ordered. In general, there is a strong pattern within the material of three "stages" of each trip. "Pre-trip material," for example, generally includes memoranda, briefings, background on a country, correspondence, press releases and/or news wires, and news clippings. Not infrequently the background material is extensive. "Trip material" will contain itineraries, information on the trip delegation, and meetings during the trip itself. "Post-trip material" often includes thank you letters and other correspondence, follow-up newspaper articles, and occasionally an Attorney General diary.

Many of the trips involve special TREVI (Terrorism, Radicalism, Extremism, Violence International) meetings. TREVI was the law enforcement counterpart to the European Economic Community (
Evidence, p.229). Its goal was to address mutual problems and cross-border challenges, such as drug trafficking, which is why many of these trips have international drug use and trafficking as a primary focus. Because of the international scope of drug problems, for example, Thornburgh established, in August 1989, an Office of International Affairs within the Department of Justice to coordinate these international efforts. Memoranda of Cuyler Walker who frequently traveled abroad with Thornburgh are also included here.

The specific trips are as follows: Europe trip to London, Bern, Bonn, Vienna, Rome and Athens (TREVI), November 28-December 9, 1988; South America trip to Bolivia, Peru and Columbia, March 5-9, 1989; South America trip to Bolivia, Peru and Columbia, April 6-13, 1989; Europe trip to Paris and Madrid (TREVI), May 8-12, 1989; Trip to the Soviet Union, October 14-20, 1989; Europe trip to Dublin, Luxembourg, London and Paris (TREVI), December 10-15, 1989; Europe trip to Sweden, Scotland, Italy and Dublin (TREVI), June 10-15, 1990; Asia trip to Tokyo and Seoul, August 31-September 7, 1990; Canada trip, October 14-17, 1990; Mexico trip to Monterrey, November 26-27, 1990; Eastern Europe trip to Budapest, Sophia and Rome (TREVI), December 1-7, 1990; and Guatemala trip, January 12-17, 1991.